Meeting set between Measure L Committee, City Attorney

A special meeting of the Measure L Citizens Oversight Committee is set for Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. to foster a discussion between the city attorney and the committee.

By Jack Barnwelljbarnwell@ridgecrestca.com

A special meeting of the Measure L Citizens Oversight Committee is set for Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. to foster a discussion between the city attorney and the committee.The lone agenda item, “Discussion with City Attorney: Measure L Citizens’ Oversight Committee Process,” is expected to establish dialogue over a heated item that has carried on for three weeks — an idea by Mayor Dan Clark for “re-visioning” of the committee.Clark’s directive intended to set the committee to reporting on Measure L expenses only and reduce city staff support to the committee to once a quarter, among other issues.The committee views its duties as an advisory capacity set on actively reviewing the data as it came in, in addition to forming a thorough budget baseline that tracked expenses related to street maintenance and public safety.A decision by the city council to pull a discussion item addressing the re-visioning at the Jan. 23 special council meeting drew sharp criticism. Members from every sector of the community expressed their concern by stating the committee should stay intact and be allowed to continue what they were doing.At its Jan. 28 meeting, the committee voted 3-2 to table a meeting to submit a rebuttal to Clark and meet with Keith Lemieux, the city attorney.Committee members Scott Garver and George Anderson voted against the idea, stating the letter, drafted by committee member Michael Petersen, should be sent.Petersen, Committee Chair Eddie Thomas and vice chair Phil Salvatore voted to meet with the city attorney to hear what Lemieux might have to say.The Measure L committee meets Wednesday at 4:30 p.m. in City Hall’s Council Conference Room Area “B.

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